If you are a member of the Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe community and wish to start a business of your own and are stuck for funds, the Nitish Kumar government may have the perfect solution to your problems. In a step towards boosting self-employment in the state, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has announced Rs 10 lakh assistance to youths from Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) communities for setting up any industry in the state. This was announced by the CM in his speech at a function on the occasion of the 72nd Independence Day in Patna on Wednesday.
As part of the programme, the state government will provide a fund of Rs 10 lakh to aspiring entrepreneurs, out of which Rs 5 lakh will be in the form of grant and the remaining half will be in the form of a loan. This amount of Rs 5 lakh, however, can be returned in 84 interest-free installments. According to a media report, the installments will begin from the day the industry begins operations. The CM also said that new hostels for SC/ST’s will be constructed and Rs 1000 monthly scholarship scheme will be implemented.
Urging youth from the SC/ST and extremely backward class to look for self-employment, the CM said, “Bihar roads are now good till village level. If you want to earn a living by ferrying passengers, we will give monetary assistance of Rs 1 lakh to help you purchase vehicles, with a capacity for four to 10 passengers,” Indian Express quoted Nitish Kumar as saying.
Nitish added that his government had created a venture capital worth Rs 500 crore to help SC/ST youth and government would also provide training to the youth.
The CM also spoke about the condition of employment after liquor prohibition in the state. He said that the government was conducting a survey to know how many people had lost jobs after the ban was enforced in the state. He added that financial assistance would be provided to the people who want to start a new business. “The government will give assistance of Rs 60,000 to Rs 1 lakh to anyone who wants to start alternative employment post liquor ban. We are also surveying those families who have no Below Poverty Line cards,” he said.
Moreover, rise in unemployment rate in the state after liquor ban has become a sensitive issue in state’s politics with the opposition frequently attacking the government on this front.
Mentioning the Bihar Education Finance Corporation, Nitish said that due to banks showing a lackadaisical approach towards loan disbursement, the government has formed this corporation. He also appealed the students to take the benefit of the Bihar Student Credit Card Scheme (BSCCS). The scheme provides for a loan of upto Rs 4 lakh to the students who pursue higher education in the state. This step is to stop students from moving out of the state for studies. Another step which his government is proposing, to stop students going out for studies, is to open medical, engineering, ITI, para-medical institutes in every district.